The Manhattan Prophet Reviewed By Fran Lewis of Bookpleasures.com

Fran Lewis

Reviewer Fran Lewis:
Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing
Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and
a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently. She is a member of
Who's Who of America's Teachersand Who's
Who of America's Executivesfrom Cambridge. In addition,
she is the author of three children's books and a fourth Alzheimer’s
book is Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s story
in honor of her mom. Fran
hopes to create more awareness for a cure of Alzheimer.She
was also the musical director for shows in her school and ran the
school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and
for several other sites. You can read some of my reviews on Ezine.com
and on ijustfinished under
the name Gabina.
Follow Here To Listen to Fran's Radio Show and Here

How far will mankind fall before it is obliterated and destroyed
beyond return? What earthly and human barriers will be broken and
eliminated before there is total annihilation and nothing left for
testing, killing, to replenish and rebuild. Economic destruction,
epidemics, diseases beyond proportion that spreads world wide, global
warming and over population and worse: a nuclear blast that occurs
and destroys our city and more leading to a chain of events that
spreads throughout the word. This brings me to my review of a novel
so unique-so far unparalleled and so frightening and thought
provoking, the Manhattan Prophet by Jake Packard.

The book opens in the year 2069 with a silver haired man emerging
from the forest, opening his laptop and communicating with a young
man. He begins to recount events that occurred during a four-day
period 22 years before. Events that change the complexion of our
world and what he states were “those four glorious days.” Next
the author brings us back to Riker’s Island on December 21, 2047
where a young man named Salem Jones is being released not only from
prison but also into what is left of society and into the throes of
life after being incarcerated at birth. Salem Jones-our Prophet, the
savior of this book is being released from a life that he was forced
to live because the world thought that he was infected at birth by
his mother with the Aid’s virus and more and would not last more
than a short time.

Intertwining events from the past and the present the author
presents a really fatalistic and graphic picture of the destruction
inflicted on humans by humans. A single nuclear blast and New York
City is destroyed. One more blast and more retaliations and countries
throughout the world have the same catastrophic results-chain
reactions-more blasts and what is left is sick, diseased, mutilated,
decapitated people and countries that are beyond the realm of medical
attention, which no longer exists for the most part, and will take a
major miracle to restore as it once was.

General, a man of power, who does not want peace, will do anything
to eradicate the good that might come from the words of this Prophet
John Kennedy Storm the Mayor had other ideas and he did not believe
that Salem Jones was evil. He did not want to go along with the
violence. Two powerful men, each with their own agenda and each with
their own formula for how they see the world and what the future will
be.

Maria and Herbie and Jamal who get caught in this web of
terror and fear as part of the news team that the government
threatens if they do not assist them in their goals. Using flashbacks
in the lives of all of the characters to explain their pasts and how
they became who they are in the present and to what lengths they will
go to protect each other, their families and others.

Will the General win out in the end or will Salem Jones’s words
change what people think make them understand his words? Salem
reminds everyone that they were born and given all that they need to
help themselves live and grow. He reminds them of how they turned
their back on creation and worshipped false gods. Choosing between
money, pleasure, power or fame as their favorite gods.

The ending will astound the reader and remind us that hate is a
terrible word read the book to decide what you belief,

Finally confronting the General and all that he claims to stand
for he tells the world that it is him and his ideals that have forced
upon the people modern idolatry and those who oppose will live under
the threat of death.

Can you live in a world where you every thought is controlled and
your words are not heard? Can you live in fear for your life and with
the threat of death if you go against what others think? Can you live
in a world where you have no rights and the government controls what
you see on and hear from the media and the streets are filled with
killers who are programmed to eradicate any one who opposes them?

No democracy, no beautiful world, gangs ruling the streets and
underground in Shantypark and your basic needs controlled by others.
What will happen to our world and what does happen is in the hands of
this groundbreaking author who has given the reader pause for thought
in this mind stimulating, thought provoking novel of one man’s
journey for redemption for the world and its people.

Do you stand with the General, the gangs and the Alliance,
or do you stand with Salem Jones and the good he is trying to inspire
and instill in all of us. Remember: Nothing stays the same as we
learned by the events in this book and the outcome: everything you
will learn is interconnected: no one knows what will happen next as
you will learn: and finally: there are no limits to the glory and the
grace of God. This is truly and thought provoking and mind
stimulating book that will profound the reader. This is a definite
must read.